I am a first year humanities student, Sita Devi, who worked as a housemaid at my home for the past five years, recently returned to her in-laws' village of Bhimpura after her husband passed away unexpectedly. She is about 45-year-old widow and now faces significant challenges in her rural village. She once mentioned via call that she is now facing harassment at her in laws place and want to return back but they are not letting her to do so, she has only a young sibling from her paternal house. Bhimpura, like many remote areas, struggles with access to legal resources. The nearest court is over 50 kilometers awa as she had told, and as a villagers, she is illiterate and find it difficult to understand their legal rights and navigate the complex legal system when I told her to approach this way. Sita as mentioned above is now facing land disputes conflict after her husband passed away, domestic violence, but seeking justice has been nearly impossible due to the distance, cost, and lack of legal knowledge.
I’m trying to understand and have a few question after doing online research that how the newly introduced Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) law, which aims to reform India’s legal system, can help people like Sita in rural areas. I’m curious about how this law will address the specific challenges faced by rural communities like Bhimpura. Will the BNS establish local legal aid centers or deploy mobile courts to remote villages, making justice more accessible? How will the law ensure that legal processes are simplified for villagers who are not familiar with legal jargon, so they can understand their rights and seek justice effectively? Additionally, how technology will be utilized under the BNS to bridge the gap between rural populations and the justice system. Will there be online platforms or mobile apps that allow villagers like Sita to access legal information or file complaints without traveling long distances?
